The biggest card in MMA history will take place Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City, headlined by Conor McGregor (20-3) vs. Eddie Alvarez (28-4) for the lightweight championship in the main event at UFC 205.
McGregor is listed as a solid -155 favorite (bet $155 to win $100) to become the organization’s first simultaneous two-division champion at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.
Alvarez is the reigning lightweight champion and will be making his first title defense as a +135 underdog (bet $100 to win $135) after upsetting Rafael Dos Anjos via first-round knockout at UFC Fight Night 90 back on July 7 in Las Vegas.
The lone loss for Alvarez in the UFC came in his debut against Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision at UFC 178 two years ago. The former Bellator lightweight champ then earned consecutive split-decision wins over Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis before taking the belt.
McGregor, who is also the current featherweight champ, will have a significant five-inch reach advantage and split his last two bouts at welterweight versus Nate Diaz.
Many feel the brash Irishman’s natural division is lightweight (155 lbs) rather than featherweight (145) or welterweight (170), so this is his chance to prove he can beat the best there and make history. No UFC fighter has ever held two titles at the same time.
Two other championship fights will also take place on the historic NYC card that will be the first ever held in New York state.
In the co-main event, welterweight champ Tyron Woodley (16-3) is a +170 underdog against rising star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (13-1), the -200 favorite. Thompson is riding a seven-fight winning streak since suffering his only career loss to Matt Brown via UD at UFC 145 in 2012.
Meanwhile, Woodley is coming off a stunning first-round KO of former champ Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 on July 30 and has won five of six, with the loss by UD to Rory MacDonald at UFC 174.
The women’s strawweight title is up for grabs as well, although champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0) is a massive -400 favorite versus Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0), the +300 underdog. Both Polish women have yet to lose, but Jedrzejczyk has six wins in the UFC compared to just three for Kowalkiewicz, who made her UFC debut last December.
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